There is a substantial need for tents of this class. They would have application in difficult frontier travel where the usual means of transport is back pack. The importance of lightness of weight will be apparent. The presently available tents in this class have a fabric bottom supported by a rectangular steel peripheral frame strong enough to support the floor. They are heavy and cumbersome, but, notwithstanding this objection, remain in use because there is no alternative. Typically, these tents weight over 30 pounds mostly because of the weight of the frame.
In respect of the tents of the prior art, which have a fabric support surface with a tubular metal peripheral frame, when load is applied to the floor the downward force of the weight tends to draw in the opposed sides of the frame. This results in a sag in the floor. To avoid undue sag from this cause, it has been the practice to design the frame to be strong enough to resist it. The result has been heavy frames that significantly contribute to the overall weight of the tent for transport.